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pa•tri•a po•tes•tas

Pronunciation: (pā'trē-u pō-tes'tus, pä'-, pa'-; Lat. pä'tri-ä" pō-tes'täs),[key]Roman Law.the power vested in the paterfamilias or head of the Roman family with respect to his wife, natural or adopted children, and agnatic descendants: title to family property is vested exclusively in the paterfamilias. Property acquired by a family member becomes family property, and no family member can enter into a transaction in his or her own right.